


Haunted

by Aristotaeles



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Multi, Working title, basically a lot of extras but you dont have to know them lol, demon hunter jaebum, ghosts and witches, im only tagging the relevant ones, jaebum focused, jyp assemble, lots of blood in this, the story alternates from light to dark A LOT
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-08-24 19:59:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16646750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aristotaeles/pseuds/Aristotaeles
Summary: Suddenly, Jaebum could feel eyes on him, making him alert. It wasn't uncommon for spirits and demons to feel his spiritual energy and be drawn to him, wanting to suck up the energy, in most cases a simple banning spell was enough to get rid of them, but Jaebum couldn't do that in the middle of the cell.  He looked around, searching for any signs of possession, but all he found was a tall and thin kid looking intensely at him from one of the sides of the cell. A shiver ran down his spine, but the kid wasn't possessed or anything – his posture was relaxed and natural, no weird glint on his eyes, his face wasn't twitchy - yet something in him made Jaebum suspicious. He was about to raise himself and approach the kid when an officer showed up, keys on his hand, making everyone perk up."Im, you're free," the officer said, already familiar with Jaebum, as bad as that sounds. Jaebum gingerly got up, ready to leave that awful smell of sweat and piss, as Jackson let out a victorious yell and followed him out.OR: Jaebum is a demon hunter who gets forced to confront his painful past in the form of a mysterious medium, an orphaned witch, one of the princes of hell and the murder of a young girl.





	1. Past pains are just hidden pains

**Author's Note:**

> Heiya! I'ts been ages since I posted anything on here cuz of school and college entrance exams (ew) but since im finally free i decided to post something! This is my first serious work, a story with a darker side, something im not really used to it so im nervous! I hope this is well received! 
> 
> Just a note: i used a lot of jyp artists in here but theyre just there to make up some extras so you dont really have to know them! The only thatll make a strong appearance here is Park Jihyo from twice
> 
> Hope you guys like this!

"Oh my god, Jaebum, I think that guy is staring at me," Jackson whispered rather loudly at Jaebum, his face paling even more than normal.

Jaebum kept his face straight, not acknowledging what his friend was saying.

"Why won't you believe me? I'm being serious!" Jackson whined, jumping up and down on his spot. Still, Jaebum made no move to look at him or respond.

Maybe, and only maybe, if Jaebum was alone and on a good mood, he would answer Jackson and patiently explain him that no one was starring him. Unfortunately, for the both of them, not only Jaebum was being forced to share a tiny bench with what looked like to be a very drunk and violent guy and a thief, being shoved into an overcrowded holding cell didn't helped his mood at all.

"You're so mean!" Jackson complained, turning his back on him.

Jaebum raised his eyes in mild interest, watching as Jackson went around the cell to stand as far as he could from him. At that, Jaebum had to hold back a snort, Jackson could be really slow sometimes, why would he remain in the cell if he could just leave?

Suddenly, Jaebum could feel eyes on him, making him alert. It wasn't uncommon for spirits and demons to feel his spiritual energy and be drawn to him, wanting to suck up the energy, in most cases a simple banning spell was enough to get rid of them, but Jaebum couldn't do that in the middle of the cell.  He looked around, searching for any signs of possession, but all he found was a tall and thin kid looking intensely at him from one of the sides of the cell. A shiver ran down his spine, but the kid wasn't possessed or anything – his posture was relaxed and natural, no weird glint on his eyes, his face wasn't twitchy - yet something in him made Jaebum suspicious. He was about to raise himself and approach the kid when an officer showed up, keys on his hand, making everyone perk up.

"Im, you're free," the officer said, already familiar with Jaebum, as bad as that sounds. Jaebum gingerly got up, ready to leave that awful smell of sweat and piss, as Jackson let out a victorious yell and followed him out.

As Jaebum gathered his personal belongings from the holding he could see his superior's head, along with her assistant, and knew he fucked up that time. See, Jaebum was a spirit hunter, and that meant he sometimes had to break into people's house, or punch someone in the face, or run over a red light (or five). That also meant he would be arrested on a weekly basis, making him quite well known on mostly every police station of every district in Seoul. Yet, his superior was never the one to release him, always sending some low-ranking office to clear up his name.

Jaebum tried to make his walk to the front of the station as slow as possible, trying to think what he did wrong and how to find an excuse for that. Truthfully, that was a rather normal day for Jaebum, he found out a vengeful spirit possessing an old lady and he unfortunately had to resort to physical fight to stop the spirit from killing someone, something the police didn't appreciate very much, thus why he was locked up. The old lady was fine and the spirit had been sent to the afterlife, so there was no reason for his boss to worry, or be angry, which was most likely.

As much as he tried, Jaebum could only slow down his steps so much before his boss's assistant caught his eyes and smile at him, relieved. Mark was cool, Jaebum liked Mark, he was a quiet guy but very thoughtful, a hundred time less scary than their boss. The fact that Mark was smiling at him was a good thing, maybe the boss wasn't that angry.

"Im Jaebum!" Park Jihyo's voice boomed through the front lobby of the police station, making both Mark and Jaebum wince, the latter already thinking about the lecture he was about to get. As a person, Park Jihyo was a sweetheart, a tiny and cute human that had no problems with anyone, but as the leader of the Ghost Division of Seoul, she could get scarier than the princes of hell, "what took you so long to get out?"

"Well, the cell was very full and... yeah," Jaebum replied very eloquently, thrown off by Jihyo's question. Was that really the only thing she wanted to ask?

"Whatever, let's go, we have a case," Jihyo was already half out of the door before Jaebum realized what was happening. A case. Jihyo was allowing Jaebum to work on a case.

Afraid of being left behind, or worse, lose his chance, Jaebum hurried after Jihyo, his breathing hard from the excitement running through his veins. Jaebum headed to his motorbike, intending on following Jihyo's car to their HQ, but Mark held him back. 

"We're going on boss' car, she wants to take you to the crime scene herself" he explained to Jaebum's confused face. Jaebum didn't understand why but complied nonetheless. Two years working on the ghost division of Seoul taught Jaebum that he should always listen to Park Jihyo. 

As the car drove away, Jaebum's mind started to wonder. It had been years since he had been allowed to work on any case, only as a type of footman, even before he transferred to the ghost division. Trying to steer clear from unpleasant memories, Jaebum tried to think of something different, like that weird kid from the cell, but his mind kept hitting the same question. What was he going to find on that crime scene?

Blood, a lot of blood. They were in front of a big mansion, a very familiar one. Any demon hunter with even an ounce of talent knew Jung Siyul, the most skilled runes maker of all east Asia. Her home was one of the safest places in the country, equipped with all kinds of protections, against spirits, witches, demons and humans. Whoever – or whatever – made that would have to have great powers and skills. 

Whatever happened, Jaebum hopped that at least Siyul and her grandkids were alright. In another life time, when he had finally accepted his destiny as a demon hunter, Jung Siyul had been specially kind to him, going as far as teaching him everything he knew. Her younger grandchildren, the half fairy Dahyun and the witch Yugyeom, were young back then and looked up at him, adopting him as their older brother. With time, Jaebum had come to love them all. 

Of course, that was before he fucked up spectacularly, isolating himself from everything related to demon hunting in shame. He couldn't completely stay away from that world, so he used his spirit sensing skills to help the ghost division, but it wasn't the same thing. 

Seeing the house after so long gave Jaebum an incredible sense of nostalgia, a longing deep in his soul. Then, there was the sight of blood, the front doors ripped from their hinges, the rot smell of death, making him shiver and gag with nausea. Finally came the fear, pure and clear fear, one someone can only feel when presented with the possibility that someone they love is dead.

"Are there... any survivors?" Jaebum forced himself to ask, trying to keep the tightness off his voice, failing just a bit. 

"We haven't gone inside the scene, no one has," Mark said, but his eyes said everything Jaebum needed to know. Everyone could smell the clear scent of demon, and any entity to be powerful enough to go against the family of Jung Siyul, and the matriarch herself, not to possess, but to kill... it had to be  _him_. 

"Why? The demon squad is already here," Jaebum said, pointing to a stand a few meters down the front yard of the house, the proud emblem of the official demon hunters shining proudly under the moonlight. 

"The demon is still there," a voice behind Jaebum explained, making him turn with one eyebrow raised. He tried to stay in the conversation and not let the not so fresh but still pulsating hurt show on his eyes, but he most has been not very successful, as both of their eyes turned soft, tinged with a bit of regret. In front of him were Sungjin and Younghyun, old teammates and friends. 

"What do you mean the demon is still there?" Jaebum asked, and if his response was a bit delayed no one commented on it. Sungjin sighed but the one who answered was Jihyo, her voice grave. 

"We don't have any strong witches to ban him from the house, so we started a negotiation... the demon is asking for you," right after Jihyo finished speaking panic spread all over Jaebum's body, like a bucket of ice coupled with pure lava on his veins.  _No_ , he was  _not_  going to meet with that demon, there was _no way_. 

"Jaebum," Younghyun started, but Jaebum was not having it. 

" _Don't_ ," he said harshly, "I thought this was a case, I thought you wanted me to work on something, not use me to get to...  _to him_ ".

Jaebum was looking directly at Jihyo, who was looking every bit as guilty as Jaebum thought she deserved. She opened her mouth a few times, maybe to apologize or to explain herself, but she was cut off by Mark.

"Look, Jaebum, we know what we did, and we're sorry, we really are, but right now we have one of the princes of hell locked up inside the most powerful rune maker of all history, we all know how bad this could end. You're our friend and we hate to put you in this situation, but you're the only one that we can count on right now, and we all really need you to do this," Mark's words were harsh, but his tone was soft. Jaebum felt half chastised half comforted, and maybe that was what he needed, because all the panic and betrayal were pushed to the back of his mind, stored deep with all of his emotions, clearing his head. It had been a while since he had to do it, which thrilled and scared him the same much, but he would deal with that later.

"Okay, I'll go in," Jaebum caved in – much to everyone's relief – already tired from that discussion. He wanted to put his feet down and say "hell no" until they understood him, but the better part of his mind made him realize Mark was right, there was too much that could go wrong if the demon stayed on Siyul's home much longer. 

As soon as he went in, he wanted to go back. His body was urging him, begging him to turn around and hide, every sense in his body going into overdrive. Somehow, he didn't leave, even if he stayed on the entrance of the house for far too long. The walls were covered in blood, this time much ticker, already drying, impregnating the air with the pungent smell of oxidizing blood. A few steps saw Jaebum on the floor, dry heaving, begging for any god out there that what he saw wasn't what he thought it was. 

He forced himself to look up, meeting the lifeless eyes of Jeongin. He was only a child, still so small, his face contorted with fear. Jaebum was there when he was born, one of Siyul's great grandchildren, he had held the little boy and helped look after him when his parents couldn't. Now, he was dead. 

Shakily picking himself from the ground, Jaebum promised himself he would take the demon away from the house, if only so they could give Jeongin a proper burial.  Down the hallway he found Jeongin's mother, Hyelim - her hand still reaching for her son, and on the door to the living room was his father, Junho, both of their faces contorted in pain and fear. 

The living room was full of blood and body parts, but Junho's was the only body. Jaebum kept going, chanting their names on his mind to give himself a little bit of courage. He was doing this for them, for Jeongi, Hyelim, Junho... 

The scene at the lobby one more time made him stop. Over his demon hunter career, he had seen some very similar situations as that, but none were with people he knew, people he loved. There were three bodies pinned to the walls by knifes stabbed through their limbs, their clothes ripped to give way for carved symbols and runes on their skins. By experience, Jaebum knew they were the first ones to die, possibly the initial sacrifice that allowed  _him_  to enter the house. Chansung, Jimin and Yubin, Jaebum made sure to know who they were. 

**_Jeongin_ ** **_,_ ** **_Hyel_ ** **_im_ ** **_,_ ** **_Junho_ ** **_,_ ** **_Chansung_ ** **_, Jimin,_ ** **_Yubin_ ** **_..._ **

On the way to stairs Jaebum found someone very much alive, not that he liked to see it. She was sitting on the banister, her leather skirt taunting on her body, her hair was midnight black, falling stylishly on her face, covered by dark make up and red lipstick. Looking like that, Minatozaki Sana looked like the definition of sin. 

"Hi there, JB, long time no see," she didn't raise her voice, but it carried around the room like she had yelled, sending a shiver down Jaebum's spine. 

"Sana, what an unpleasant surprise to see you here," Jaebum deadpanned. Sana was a Japanese girl with a dangerous interest for the occult, she was possessed years ago by  _his_  right hand. It was common practice to call demons by their "human" name, as their own carried too much power. 

"Oh, don't be like that, JB, it's been years since we've seen each other and you treat me like that?" Sana faked pouted, mock hurt on her voice. 

"Not really in the mood for your games right now, Sana, I just came here to talk to Wooyoung and get this over with," Jaebum bit out, all of his panic and fear turning into anger. Sana was probably the one who left the bodies trail, Wooyoung would never do the dirty work, it had to be her or...

"Why don't you stay for a bit and play with us?" A sultry voice whispered by Jaebum's ear, and in a second, he had his blade out, turning around to the image of Min with her head thrown back, laughing like she just made the best joke in the world. 

"What a scared kitten, don't worry, we can't harm you and take away our master's pleasure," Min said, smirking up at him. Jaebum almost growled at her, a fury coming up from deep within. He still had the scars Min gave him the last time they met. 

"Fuck off, just take me to him already," Jaebum gritted out, his jaw set and his eyes glaring as best as he could. That was enough to somber up Min a little, as she just shrugged and told him to "follow her". 

She was up the stairs in a blink of smoke, one hand holding Sana's hips while they both smiled down at him. Blade still in place and more alert than ever, Jaebum climbed up the stairs, then followed the two demons to the grand ballroom. He had only ever been there once, when Dahyun's older brother, Jaehyung, got married to someone from another strong witch clan. He knew that it was a huge place, and at 17 it made him feel very small and insignificant, but it was nothing compared to feeling he got when the doors were opened. 

Blood, so much blood. But now there were people too, he could see Sunmi – who taught him strengthening runes and ruffled his hair when he did something right – Sooji - who never minded reading him bedtime stories even if he was clearly too old for them – Taecyeon – the older brother figure Jaebum needed then, with his kind and strong personality. And much more, all of them dead. Some had battle gear on, fresh runes tattooed all over their bodies, but other looked like they were ripped out of their beds, caught by surprise. 

In the middle of it all sat Wooyoung, on a fancy big chair, drinking wine like he had no care in the world. 

"Remember, you were the one who asked to be brought here," Sana told him with a smile before disappearing with her demon friend, leaving Jaebum alone with all of those corpses and the vilest creature in the world. 

"Wooyoung," Jaebum spat out, practically vibrating with disgust and hatred. 

"Jaebumie! It's so nice to see you, come in come in, don’t mind the mess, the party just got a little crazy, that's all," Wooyoung said like they were old friends, gesturing around casually. Right then, Jaebum almost threw caution out on the wind and attacked him, but his logic reminded him last minute what his mission was. He had to take Wooyoung out of the house, and he clearly didn't have the power to fight him. 

**_For_ ** **_Jeongin_ ** **_,_ ** **_Hyelim_ ** **_,_ ** **_Junho_ ** **_,_ ** **_Chansung_ ** **_, Jimin,_ ** **_Yebin_ ** **_,_ ** **_Sunmi_ ** **_,_ ** **_Sooji_ ** **_,_ ** **_Taecyeon_ ** **_, and so many more..._ **

"You called for me, why? What do you want?" Jaebum asked, rooted to entrance by stubbornness and wariness. 

"If I knew you'd come anytime I call I would get your phone number!" Wooyoung laughed like that was the best joke he ever told. Deep down, Jaebum asked himself if all demons had a bad sense of humor.

"What. Do. You. Want," Jaebum repeated forcefully. Wooyoung stayed silent for a moment, his face serious, before he smirked like the cat that got the canary. 

"I was wondering what I would have to do to get your attention, I'm glad this was enough. I have a job for you," Wooyoung said casually, taking a sip of his wine after. Jaebum startled, blinking at the demon, and then it was his time to laugh. 

"Do you really think I would ever do any jobs for you? Are you on drugs or something? Because I would never ever, not in a million years-" Jaebum was cut off by Wooyoung. 

"I still have Siyul," he said, sounding bored and a little bit annoyed. 

"What," Jaebum stalled, bile rising his throat from just standing there and talking with the demon.

"That old hag is hard to kill, even for me. Of course, it wasn't hard to throw her down one of hell's abyss's, all I had to do was a little push," Wooyoung giggled, looking directly into Jaebum's eyes, making him freeze. Those eyes, all black, shadows moving on them like trapped souls begging to come out, they were still the same but so much worse.

"If you want her back, find out who killed Park Nayeon, and I'll give you Jung Siyul back, deal?" 

Jaebum didn't want to accept it. As a matter of fact, he knew he shouldn't, not when Wooyoung had phrased it like that. It was a contract, it meant another bond between them. There were so many questions running through his mind, why that specific murder? Why did he have to kill the whole clan? What was Wooyoung plotting? Yet, that wasn’t the time to be questioning, not when Siyul was suffering alone in hell. 

"Deal," Jaebum breathed out. Wooyoung smiled, his face moving unnaturally, his muscles placed weirdly. 

"You did good, little Jaebum," and with that, he disappeared. 

Jaebum looked around, the sadness and utter helplessness coming back in full waves now that the anger and hatred was gone. He couldn't stay on the ballroom any longer, and without noticing he had run down two sets of stairs and was now standing in front of his old room's door. 

When Jaebum was 16, he found out he had the blood of a demon hunter. First, that explained a lot of things about him and his life, then more questions started to show, and when they got answered loneliness and sadness came. Jaebum couldn't stay with normal people, he was like a spirits magnet, it would just put his friends and family in danger. And so, he left everything he knew behind so he could live with and be trained by Jung Siyul and her family. 

At first, he didn't trust any of them, and isolated himself on his little room on the basement, only coming out for food and practice. With time, he opened up and built himself a family with the occupants in the house. Now, they were all gone, and Jaebum wished he could go back to not caring, to just locking himself in his room and be away from mostly everyone. 

He went in the room, blinking in surprise and then to suppress the tears when he realized his room was exactly the same of when he left, not even his bed was made. When he decided to leave, Siyul respected his decision, but promised that she would never hold that against Jaebum, and that he could come back in any terms he was comfortable in. Siyul was a wonderful woman. 

Jaebum sat on the bed, trying not to cry and failing miserably. He was a wreck, so many feelings running through his mind at that time. He wished Jackson was there to comfort him, to help him sort his mind out. 

"Sshh it's going to be okay," a hand settled on Jaebum's shoulder, making him snap his head up. 

"Jackson? How did you get in here?" Jaebum asked in disbelief. The house had strong barriers, only someone with permission could enter. 

"The barriers are down it's been half an hour, everyone is looking for you, Jihyo is barking orders like crazy, Mark's guilt is eating him alive and Sungjin is close to call for backup just so they can find you," Jackson explained, the smile on his face showing that he was saying that to cheer Jaebum up, but it only made him wince in guilt. He had no idea he was down there this whole time, and the entrance to the basement was rather concealed, only accessible by a tiny door on the end of the big pantry on the far corner of the kitchen. No wonder people couldn't find him down there. 

"Jackson, I- I did something terrible," Jaebum confessed, sobs threatening to spill out his mouth. Jackson's smile faltered, he tried to hide it by hugging Jaebum really tight, but Jaebum could see his friend was worried.

"I made a deal with Wooyoung," the words came out in a hush, Jaebum too tired, too scared to say anything more. He thought Jackson would yell, lecture him on how bad that was, or try to tell him some joke to change subjects, but all he did was hug Jaebum tighter. 

Jaebum returned the hug, inhaling deeply even if he knew Jackson didn't have any scent, it was still comforting. They stayed a few minutes like this until Jaebum felt a faint magic presence, startling him. It could be from someone on the demon squad that had finally found him, but that presence felt too familiar... and it was coming from Jaebum's wardrobe... could it be that...

Jumping out of his bed, eliciting a shocked little yell from Jackson, Jaebum ran to his wardrobe, pulling the door open before he lost the courage to. There, in the middle of dusty old clothes, laid someone, their face pale and sweaty, holding their bloody arm to their chest and looking they were accepting death and suddenly found a new hope. 

"Jaebum hyung?" He asked softly, his eyes dazed and unfocused. 

There was one survivor. Someone was still alive. 

"Yugyeomie," Jaebum sobbed out, already reaching for the boy.


	2. the feelings are pooling, filling the air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imma be real with ya chiefs..... i thought i had posted this chapter before. Honestly, i completely forgot to post it, and that's why it's so late lol im so so so sorry yall  
> anyway this might be as well cuz im having MAJOR blocks for chap 3 but ill write it somehow dont worry  
> btw i was in a hurry to post this cuz its late so its unedited and eng is not my second language so please point out any mistakes

Changing is never easy, even if it's for the better. Sometimes things change suddenly, surprising us, and sometimes they do it so slowly you can't even remember how things were before. Change can happen inside you, or out for the world. Doesn't matter how, change always puts you in a new path, being good or bad. 

Im Jaebum was only 25 but his life had suffered major changes more times than he was willing to count. From the small and mundane things like growing up and developing opinions, to his most recent one. 

"Are you sure about this?" Mark asked one more time, his smile barely hiding the guilt shining in his eyes. Jaebum smiled softly back, reaching one hand to tap Mark once on his shoulder. 

"It's something I need to do," was all he replied. In reality, there was so much confusion in mind that he wasn't sure if what he was doing was the right thing. But he was sure of only one thing: everyone who died that day on the Jung mansion, all of the twelve, was his fault. He couldn't let that happen. 

"Please make sure my letter gets to Jihyo," Jaebum says, getting ready to leave. 

"Give it to me yourself, coward," Jihyo said, suddenly appearing from behind him. Jaebum startled a little, reminding himself there was a reason Jihyo was the youngest division leader in the whole "supernatural police". The woman could be sneaky when she wanted.

"Boss, I-" Jaebum tried to speak but she cut him off. 

"We have to talk, privately," Jihyo was already half way inside her office by the time Jaebum processed what she said. 

She only began to talk after she made sure the door was locked and no one was near the office, making Jaebum nervous. He had an inkling as why Jihyo was so keen on this conversation they were about to have to stay a secret, but he didn't like that at all. 

"Look, if this is about what happening last week..." Jaebum started, his anxiety already eating his insides, but Jihyo cut him off again (it seemed she was very good at it these days). 

"No, it's not," she began, stopped, twisted her mouth and started again, "it kinda is".

Jaebum looked at her expectantly, the least he could do was listen to her, one last time. 

"It's about you. I don't know what you saw in that house, or what you did to get the demon out of there, but I know it must have been something horrible. I'm worried about you, I don't want you to be alone, not right now," Jihyo confessed, her face more open than for all the years Jaebum worked with her. His heart melted a little for his boss, a friend he made on a hard time, someone who helped him get back on his feet more time than necessary, a person who was just trying to protect him. 

"Jihyo, I- thank you, for worrying about me. I know you always do that, but I'll be okay this time. I'm not alone, I have Yugyeom with me," Jaebum replied, his voice full of emotion. Inwardly, Jaebum asked himself when he became such a soft, emotion filled human. Youngjae and JInyoung would be rolling on the floor laughing if they saw that. 

"Oh, about that... I mean, Yugyeom," Jihyo began, making Jaebum perk up. 

After Wooyoung and his entourage left the house and the barriers were down, it took almost an hour for anyone to find Jaebum and Yugyeom. Most of the bodies had already been carried away, but Jaebum still made sure to shield Yugyeom's eyes from the blood and misery around them, holding the young boy close to him the whole way. Once they were outside, a group of medics tried to separate them, it took everything Jaebum had to let anyone touch the boy, if only to make sure he was okay. 

Then, there was the whole problem of where – or rather, with whom – Yugyeom was going to stay with. The demon division claimed they could protect him better (like hell), the witches insisted he should be with his kin (like they cared about that) and Jaebum wasn't about to let the boy out of sight any time soon. It took a lot of favors pulling and insistence from Yugyeom himself for Jaebum to get his temporary guardianship, at least while the Witch Council decided what to do.

That day, Jaebum swore to protect Yugyeom up until his last breath, in respect for all of fallen ones that died that night but also because of the fierce protectiveness he developed from the moment he found the boy curled up in his wardrobe, all bloody and vulnerable, looking at him with all the trust Jaebum never knew he earned. 

“I know I can take care of him, he’s going to be fine with me, I promise,” Jaebum was quick to reassure, mostly because of instinct. The last few days have been filled with promises and reassurances that he was a fit guardian for the young witch, and he feared those times would never end until everything settled and he could finally relax a little, knowing the boy would be with him. 

“I know! Don’t worry, I know,” Jihyo raised her hands as if asking for time out, a gentle smile on her face. Jaebum relaxed against his chair, realizing he had puffed out his chest and postured really aggressively, a blush spreading over his cheeks and ears. 

“I know you can take care of Kim Yugyeom, and I agree that you two should be together right now, god knows how much support you both need. But that’s my point, you both need help, someone to lean on,” the woman continued, the volume of her voice getting lower and grave, “I just want you to have someone to lean on, that’s all”.

“Yugyeom can lean on me,” Jaebum one more time got into defensiveness, he knew it was pointless and rude of him to do so with someone that was only trying to help, but he was exhausted at this point, mentally drained out. All he wanted was some time to catch his breath, even a second to rest from this storm.

“But who can you lean on?” She asked firmly, making Jaebum shoot his head up in alarm, their eyes finally meeting. He thought of Jackson, who was probably waiting for him outside the precinct right now, but he wasn’t exactly someone Jaebum could tell Jihyo about. On top of that, Jaebum also had no idea what Jackson’s feelings and thoughts were about this yet, how he was coping with everything. 

Jaebum stared blankly at Jihyo, his eyes wild and his head running in circles. He had to be strong, right? He had to be a good brother, a good hyung, a rock so the people around him can lean on. Im Jaebum was stronger than this, he didn’t need no one to lean on. Right?

“What do I do?” Jaebum asked in a really small voice, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. He would not allow the tears to fall under any circumstances, it would only mean weakness, and he had cried enough. 

“You can ask for help, Jaebum,” Jihyo said soflty, a fond smile on her lips. 

Jaebum and Jihyo had talked and worked things out. Jaebum agreed not to quit the Ghost Division but be put on hiatus, on top of that he also agreed to think over going to see a therapist. The most major thing Jaebum let Jihyo do for him was to find a sort of “babysitter” (Jihyo had frowned hard at that term, but Jaebum allowed himself this small pettiness), someone that would stay near him and make sure he wouldn’t do anything drastic. His boss had promised she would find someone suitable, that would not meddle on their lives unless needed, within a week. Jaebum wasn’t exactly that excited. 

When Jaebum came back home, all the lightness of talking about his feelings left him. Inside the tiny apartment, the air was thick and heavy with a nauseating aura of sadness and despair, leaving a sour taste on the top of his mouth. He knew exactly why it was like this, and he could never blame Yugyeom for that.Witches had a strong aura, especially the young ones, who still didn’t know how to control it. A trained body could easily pick a witch’s mood changes, just by feeling it through the air. It wasn’t surprising that the whole place was surrounded by the dark aura, as Yugyeom was still mourning for his family. 

Jaebum believed Yugyeom needed time to mourn, time to dwell on his feelings by himself, but after the day’s events, he was beginning to think it was maybe time for them to have a conversation. 

“Hey, Gyeomie, you’re up?” He whispered, gently shaking the lump beneath the blankets. He got a non-committal hum in response, making him falter a little. Was Yugyeom not ready to talk? No, Jaebum had to at least try a little more, he knew it was hard to open up at times like these. 

“I just want you to know that... If you wanna talk, about literally anything, really, I’m here for you...” Jaebum trailed off, intimidated by the cold silence and sudden shift on the atmosphere. He could feel Yugyeom’s anger and frustration oozing off him, mixing in with the sour taste of sadness, it was almost suffocating. 

“You can come to me for anything, I’ll support you no matter what, okay? I love you,” Jaebum finished off his makeshift speech, quickly getting from the bed. Right, guess Yugyeom’s still not ready to talk. 

“Love me? Don’t be a fucking liar,” Yugyeom suddenly said, startling Jaebum into turning back at him. He looked at the boy, waiting for him to say what he needed to say, fully conscious he was about to take the brunt of some heavy hits, and he was ready. The boy needed this. He was ready.

“You kept saying that we’re like family, that you loved everyone in that house, but that’s not true,” the witch continued, raising himself from the bed, but still turned back from Jaebum, “you lied to them, you lied to us, you’re lying to yourself”.

“Yugyeomie,” Jaebum tried to call him but was cut off by the boy. 

“If you really loved us, you wouldn’t have left!” He yelled, finally turning back to face Jaebum full on, the intensity of his gaze, the tears falling down unabashedly down his face, the pure helplessness coming off of him, it all made Jaebum’s knees crash. 

Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit. He was supposed to be strong, he was supposed to someone that could take Yugyeom’s pain for him. The truth was, he was being drowned by those feelings. Everything hit too close from home, stirring in unpleasant memories that Jaebum wished he never had to face again. He closed his eyes, a flash of a bloodied body, a hand with a newly sported ring getting stained with the red liquid. He blinked again, two teenagers in an ally, split lips and bruises all over, their eyes haunted like Yugyeom’s. One more, a little girl sitting on a swing, a tattered teddy bear on her hand, she was crying, wriggling her hands, her mouth moving, saying something. Jaebum didn’t remember her voice, he didn’t remember any of their voices. 

But he knew what they were thinking, what they were all thinking. 

_“If you loved us, then why did you leave?”_

And Jaebum had no answer, he had nothing to say to them. He had his reasons, but that didn’t matter now. The past was the past, and he had to focus on the now. That’s what he kept telling himself, yet...

“I left because I couldn’t face the people I love after what I’ve done,” Jaebum said softly, finally breaking the heavy silence that settled over them. He slowly picked himself up until he was in the same eye level as Yugyeom. 

“I am so so sorry I left you, Yugyeom. But that doesn’t change anything now, what done is done. We don’t know what could have happened if I was there, and we don’t want to know. What matters is that I am here right now and that you’re here with me, that means we can look out for each other, because we’re family,” Jaebum said everything with a firm, gentle voice, even though he was close to crying. 

The truth was, saying that made him feel lighter. He knew that he had done some harm to the people he loved, and that they would be endangered if he stayed near. Truth be told, he almost didn’t take Yugyeom over, the only reason he did being the fact that just the thought of parting with him made his skin crawl. He truly believed leaving his loved ones was for the best then, and look what happened, so maybe a new approach could work. He would protect Yugyeom his own damned self. 

The young witch only stared at him, his breathing hard, so many emotions swimming his eyes, mixing in with the tears still slowly falling from his face. The air was a so heavy and closed, the pressure of both of their feelings crushing them. 

“I know it was my fault that they’re all dead-”

“Wait, wait, you think it was your fault?” Yugyeom cut him off, his eyes wild and huge. Jaebum blinked, had he said something wrong again?

“Yes, the demon was after me, after all”

“Hyung, they’re demons. It’s not your fault and it will never be that they’re a bunch of sadistic little crap shitfucks that are made of pure evil”

“But they were there because of me,” Jaebum tried to reason again, his mind making wild turns. 

“They’ve done that because they’re evil, you didn’t force them to act that way, it was their own free will”

Jaebum looked at Yugyeom, his mind’s wheels slowly turning. Was Yugyeom trying to... comfort him? Gosh, what did he ever do to deserve such an amazing younger brother like that? Not being able to hold on to his own feelings, Jaebum opened his arms, to which Yugyeom promptly jumped into them. Sure, they still needed a lot to figure and work out, but at least they were together. 

“Thank you, Yugyeom,” Jaebum whispered, to which Yugyeom only tightened his arms in response, “let’s have each other's back forever” 

From behind the witch’s shoulder, Jaebum could see Jackson watching them, a fond smile on his lips. He wasn’t ready to smile back yet, but he was beginning to feel lighter. Right, everything would be alright, they just had to stick together. 

After their little talk, Yugyeom went to bed again, probably emotionally exhausted, but this time he didn’t cover completely his face. Jaebum took that as a win, considering Yugyeom had been refusing to show himself to anyone, covering his entire body with the blankets.

“So, how was it in the Ghost Division?” Jackson finally cornered him in the kitchen. Not that Jaebum was avoiding him per se, he was simply trying to his distance so they wouldn’t have to talk. Which is exactly like avoiding.

“Jihyo put me on unpaid vacation,” Jaebum sighed, stirring the pot with concentration, half because he was a shitty cooker and he was trying not to mess up and half because he wanted to look busy enough that Jackson would just drop it. It was naïve of him, obviously, as Jackson wasn’t going to take the hint. 

“So, you didn’t quit? That’s great!”  

Jackson was smiling proudly at him, so Jaebum took a few seconds to look at him and smile back. He knew that he hadn’t given Jackson any attention for the past weeks because of what happened, but he appreciated his friend’s support and he wanted him to know that. 

“And what else?” Jackson asked, making Jaebum wince. Of course, Jackson was smarter than what he let on, and his JB-observing skills (as he out it) were too good for him to just miss that Jaebum was leaving something out of it. It was no use to hiding it now that he realized it. 

“She’s gonna send someone to keep watch on us and help me if I need”

“And?”

“She’s asked me to go see a therapist, I think I’ll try it once everything is settled,” Jaebum finally said it, his body coiling tight. Seeing a doctor has always been a sensitive topic for him, specially one where he would be sharing his fears and traumas. Jackson had been trying to convince him to go see a therapist for years and Jaebum had always refused. 

When Jackson didn’t reply, Jaebum looked up from where he was staring at the pot and blinked in surprise when Jackson had disappeared and Yugyeom was standing at the door, a confused look on his face. 

“Hyung? Who were you talking to?” He asked, slowly making his way to where Jaebum was trying to go back to his chicken soup recipe. An annoying smirk graced his features when he easily leaned over Jaebum and peaked the pot, making Jaebum playfully pinch his side. 

“I thought I felt an apparition here,” Yugyeom said, a few minutes after, Jaebum already serving them in two bowls. At first, Jaebum didn’t say anything, he only stared at Yugyeom while the boy moved his food around, none of them eating. 

“You’re gonna have to tell him at some point,” Jackson said on his ear, startling Jaebum. 

“There! I’ve felt it again!” Yugyeom gasped, getting up and looking around, “hey! Show yourself!”

Jaebum looked down at his plate, his neck sweating. He couldn’t tell Yugyeom right now, the boy already had enough worries. 

“Remember the second bedroom in the apartment? The one I keep locked and told you to never ever go there?” Jaebum asked, drawing Yugyeom’s attention. The boy nodded, sitting back and giving his whole attention to him.

“When I moved in here, there was the ghost of a girl haunting the place, she was very aggressive, close to becoming a revenging spirit, I tried to help her, even exorcise her, but it seems like her spirit is bound to this place. Since I couldn’t get her back to her senses, or pass over, I sealed her in that bedroom,” Jaebum explained everything. 

That ghost always made him sad, thinking about how she was probably trapped there because her body was still in the place somehow, but no matter how much he searched he couldn’t find any trace of someone like her ever even getting near the plot of land. Jaebum had only sealed her away when he became a danger to the livings, but it was still something that was hard to do. She looked so young...

Yugyeom listened to everything with rapid attention, his eyes glowing with curiosity, an itch spreading around the room because of it. He had asked if he could see the ghost, but Jaebum denied, promising that Yugyeom could help him search for tips on the girl on the next day, the little witch readily agreeing. 

As much as it upset Jaebum to make Yugyeom go to bed right after the boy had finally gotten up and actually done something that wasn’t scream or cry, but he could see the tiredness creeping around his eyes, the boy clearly tired but still trying to stay awake. He gently stirred the boy out of the kitchen, telling him to go to bed. He thought he was going to complain, but the younger just nodded and went away. 

“When are you planning on telling him about me?” Jackson asked sternly, his mouth set in a thin line. 

Jaebum only shrugged, ignoring this problem for now. 

“Hello, is this Im Jaebum’s residence?” 

“Uh, one moment,”

“Hyuuuuuuuuuuung, is this Im Jaebum’s resi-something?”

Jaebum picked his eyes up from the book he was reading on the sofa, a snort escaping his lips. Yugyeom was blocking the whole door view with his gigantic body, as he had run to the door as soon as the doorbell rang, thinking it was the chicken they ordered for lunch. Jaebum could see that it wasn’t the delivery person but he had no idea of who could it be, and so he had to get up from his comfy sofa to see. 

When he got there, Yugyeom stepped aside and Jaebum saw a vaguely familiar face in front of him, he just couldn’t place him. The person in front of him seemed to recognize him as well, as his eyes widened as he stared at him. Jaebum smiled awkwardly, waiting for the boy to introduce himself. Or was he someone he was supposed to know?

The awkward silence was broken by Yugyeom clearing his throat rather loudly, startling both of them out of the staring. The stranger blushed and started talking, but Jaebum was still trying to place him. He was taller than the ghost hunter, the flashy red of his hair adorning his thin features, he wasn’t built but had a nice posture and he talked a little on the slower side and with an accent, probably foreigner. 

“... and then Jihyo said I could stay here!” Jaebum went back into paying attention in time to catch his last words, but it still took him a few seconds to process what was being said. When he finally understood, the stranger was looking weirdly at him. 

“Are you okay? Do you need me to repeat it again?” the stranger said again, using formal language but Jaebum could detect some sass on his tone. 

“Right. Jihyo sent you. What’s your name again?” Jaebum finally snapped out it, his eyes becoming sharp. He puffed out his chest, trying to look intimidating in his old pajamas and ugly yellow slippers. At least he could always count on his eyes. 

“Bambam. Yes, it’s just Bambam, it’s a Thai thing,” the boy added the last part before Jaebum could even open his mouth, but he still nodded in understanding. 

“Right,  _Bambam_. I’ll just have to call Jihyo to confirm with her, okay?” 

“Sure,” Bambam shrugged, “can I at least get in?”

Jaebum looked at him, assessing. He didn’t feel any spiritual threats on him, and he was sure he could take him if physical violence was needed. So, he nodded, opening the door more so Bambam could enter. 

“Gyeomie, can you get some tea for our guest?” Jaebum asked distractedly, already dialing his boss. Yugyeom looked at him incredulously. 

“Please,” Jaebum added quickly, Jihyo answering right after so he stopped paying attention. 

“Park Jihyo speaking,”

“Hey, boss, have you sent someone to my apartment?” Jaebum decided to just go and ask right off the bat, just like Jihyo liked. 

“Oh, Jaebum, is you! Is Bambam already there? I see... well, please take care of my friend, ok?”

“Wait, boss-” Jaebum was cut by a quick “great, bye” and Jihyo hanging up. He sighed, she really wasn’t going to give him any options. 

He turned to where Bambam and Yugyeom were just staring at each other, their cups sitting in front of them, seemingly untouched. 

“So, uh, Bambam, it seems like Jihyo really sent you... sorry for the distrust, I just had to check,” Jaebum said, sitting on the sofa next to Yugyeom. Bambam was in the armchair in front of them. 

“It’s okay I guess,” the boy just shrugged. The silence settled again, Jaebum racking his mind for something to say, when he remembered how Bambam could be someone he knew. 

“What department are you in?” Jaebum finally talked, making Bambam look at him with confusion in his face before he blinked. 

“Oh, right, I'm a fashion major,” he said, the sentence coming out clean, like he was used to saying something like that. This time it was Jaebum’s turn to get confused. Was Bambam not with the supernatural police? What was Jihyo doing involving him with a ghost hunter and a witch?

“Hyung, can you come check something real quick with me at the kitchen?” Yugyeom asked, already dragging Jaebum with him. 

“Hyung, what is he doing here? He’s not going to move in, right?” Jaebum looked at Yugyeom, thinking about how he was going to explain to him. When Jihyo said she was going to send someone, Jaebum imagined she would choose someone from their division, like Mark, or even someone from his old demon hunting squad, not a random college kid. But if Jihyo said that he was the best, then he would have to trust her. 

“It’s for work,” he said, hoping it would be enough. He caught Yugyeom’s eyes, trying to convey how he wanted the boy to trust him. 

“If you say so...” was all the witch said before he left the kitchen, detouring to their room instead of the living room. 

When Jaebum returned, Bambam was up, his phone on his hands as he typed furiously. 

“Hey, you okay?” 

The red haired looked up like he was startled, then gave Jaebum a fake smile. 

“I came here because Jihyo said it you were offering cheap housing, but it seems that the offer isn’t up anymore, right? Sorry for the inconvenience, I’ll be taking my leave now,”

Jaebum watched as Bambam picked up his bag and went in the direction of the door. Maybe this was for the best, the house was already full anyway, why rope this innocent college student in their problems?

_“please take care of my friend”_

Right, Jihyo had asked something to Jaebum. It was something small compared to what she had done to him, he owned that to her. 

“Wait, Bambam,” Jaebum spoke as he was about to open the door, making the taller stop and turn to him, waiting.

“Sorry about this mess, it’s just that we weren’t expecting you to come today, so we haven’t - uh – cleaned the second bedroom. We would love to help a friend’s of Jihyo,” Jaebum explained quickly, inventing a little lie to justify his hesitance. 

“Oh my god, really?” Bambam’s cold face slowly broke out into a relieved smile,” thank you very much, to tell you the truth I had been kicked out from my boarding house, and I don’t have any friends that live near my university, so I was starting to worry I would have to miss classes”

Jaebum blinked, not knowing that the boy had been in such a rough shape. He remembered how Siyul opened her house and took him in, took care of him, when he was nothing more than a mouthy kid in an orphanage. He decided to repass the kindness that was given to him. 

“Of course you can stay, it’s just that as I said the second bedroom can’t be used right now and we don’t have any more beds...” Jaebum explained at the boy who simply shook his head. 

“I can take the couch, if you don’t mind,” 

“Now, about the price-” Bambam started, but Jaebum cut him off. 

“Why don’t you stay the first month, see if you adapt, and then we talk about paying,” 

Bambam blinked at him, looking weirded out, but then he smiled. 

“Well, I won’t pass up on the free housing...”

Jaebum smiled back at him, offering his hand to him. 

“Welcome to your new home, then”

When Bambam took his hand, Jaebum felt a ripple, similar to when the veil is lifted and mortals can see ghosts, a chill running down his spine. He ignored it, smiling warmly at Bambam, doing his best to make him feel welcomed. 

“Yay, new roommate!” He could hear Jackson scream in joy. 

“Oh, I don’t think we met, I’m Bambam,” Jaebum watched in shock and horror as Bambam turned to Jackson and smile, as if he could see and hear him. But that was impossible, it couldn’t happen. Jackson looked just as shocked as him, but he also had excitement written on his face. 

Bambam offered his hand and Jackson giggled like a little kid on Christmas. Jaebum watched, his stomach dropping, bile rising, shivers running down his spine, as Bambam took Jackson’s hand and shook it. 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Jackson,” 

A gut wrenching feeling passed through Jaebum’s whole being, as if his soul was being teared apart, then everything turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry again for it being late!  
> if you're up it, maybe check my writting tumblr @monxcarat i take writting request there and i think that blog needs more love :(  
> i also have a twitter, im not that active there but if you come talk to me ill def respond! its @fishermanjaebum  
> come and talk to me :)

**Author's Note:**

> I'll try to update this as soon as next week maybe???   
> Feedback is appreciated (especially cuz this is a genre im kinda insecure abt and all hehe.....)  
> Thanks for reading ヾ(＾∇＾)


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